Spring bed-bottom



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. BOWEN.

SPRING BED BOTTOM.

No. 249,882. I Patented Nov. 22,1881.

3, m 'ji a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v (No Model.)

J. BOWEN.

SPRING BED BOTTOM.

Patented Nov. 22,1881

@ENTOR 8M UNITED STATES PATENT OEErQE.

JEssE BOWEN, or LANCASTER, orno.

SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 249,882, dated November 22, 1881. Application filed October 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Fairtield and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Bed-Bottoms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in spring bed-bottoms, and more particularly to improvements upon my former patent, dated March 30, 1880, and numbered 226,026.

The object of my present invention is the production of a spring bed-bottom which can be readily applied to the ordinary bedstead or made to form a cot-bed, and which can also be easily and readily taken apart and made compact for transportation.

The invention has also for its object to simplify the construction, while obviating defects incident to my former patent above referred to; and to this end the invention consists in novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and particnlarl y designated in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view or plan of my improved spring bed-bottom Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse central section; Fig. 4, a perspective of my improved spring bed-bottom when adapted for a cot-bed Fig. 5, a view showing the parts when detached and made compact for transportation Figs. 6 and 7 detached detail views hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, Arepresents a frame adapted to fit into a bedstead. This frame is composed of side rails, to a, having mortises a through them near their ends, for the reception of the tenons b of the end rails, B B, by which the side and end rails are framed to- 5o 'gether, and which are detachably secured by 1) represents a series of flexible slats having.

their forward ends laid upon the head-rail B, and held from any lateral movement by means of upwardly-projectin g pins b,passing through slots d in the slats, and which are secured thereon by a cross-bar, E, passing over them, and detachably secured in position by screws 6 c. The foot-rail B is provided with a series of mortises, b through which pass the other ends ofthe slats D, and which have a slight longitudinal play therein. as the flexible slats are deflected from their normal position. As the slatsand foot-rails are made from wood, and their surfaces coming together by the slight longitudinal play of the slats, the frictional contact of the parts will produce a screeching noise, which is entirely obviated by having the under sides of the slats, where they play in the mortised rail, lined with sheet metal, as shown at cl, Fig. 7.

Each slat D has connected to its under side two bridges, F F, arranged upon opposite sides of its center, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These bridges are formed from a single .wire bent to form standards f f, the ends of which are bent at right angles and clinched or otherwise secured to the slats, and said standards are contracted near their lower ends, and around which passes the double hook h, said contracted portion forming shoulders f f for the bridge to rest upon the hook, and also firmly securing the double hook in position thereon. Near each end of the slat is, by a staple, 1', or its equivalent, connected a rod, j, which extends to the lower end of the corresponding bridge F, at which point the rod j connects with the double hook h, above referred to, and around which is placed a compressed spiral spring, k. Another double hook, h, is also passed in an opposite direction through the spring 70, and the two double hooks h h connected by a hooked rod, 1, thus.

forming a spring-connection between the extremities of the slat under the bridges, similar to the arrangement shown in my former patent before referred to, and which is therefore not broadly claimed in this case.

G represents a transverse central bar suspended from the side rails by bent metallic plates 9 g, which have eyes g g adapted to fit over one of a series of headed lugs, (t by whichsaid bar can be vertically adjusted to reguas shown in dotted lines, Fig.2,and will there-' fore offer increased resistance to the downward pressure of the flexible slats, due 'to the compressed springs above referred to.

Near the ends, and preferably on the inner sides, of the side rails, a, are pivotally connected the upper ends of legs J, which can be turned down, as shown at Fig. 4, when it is desired to form a cot-bed, and turned up out of the waywhen it is desired to apply the spring bed-bottom to a bedstead.

j represents stops for preventing the legs from spreading too far apart when turned down to form a cot-bed.

When it is desired to make the spring bedbottom compact for transportation the crossbar E is detached, and also the supportingbar G. The slats are then easily and quickly removed, after which the hooks and staples holding the side and end rails together are disa connected, when they are taken apart and the several parts arranged into a compact bundle, as shown in Fig. 5, ready for transportation. This is a very desirable and important feature of my improved spring bed-bottoms, as it enables me to ship or transport them at a considerable less cost, and which,it will be observed, can be as readily and easily put together as taken apart.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a spring bed-bottom, the combination of the mortised side rails, a a, mortised and tenoned foot-rail B, and tenoned head-rail B, detachably connected together, detachable cross-bar E, supporting-bar G, and the separate and detachable flexible slats having elastic supporting devices, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

2. In a spring bed-bottom, the combination, with the mortised wooden end rail, B, of the flexible wooden slats D, having their under sides at the point where they play in the mortises of said end rail lined with sheet metal, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

3. In a spring bed-bottom, the flexible slats having bridgesFEformed from a single piece of wire, with standards ff, contracted near their lower ends to form shoulders f f, in combination with the double hooks, springs, and connecting-rods, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

4. In a spring bed-bottom, the combination, with a series of flexible slats, each having bridges F F connected to its under side, and upon opposite sides of its center compressed springs arranged intermediate of said bridges and connected together and to near the ends of the slat, of the suspended and verticallyadjustable transverse supporting-bar Gr, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

5. The herein-described spring bed-bottom, consisting of the mortised side rails, tenoned endrail, B, and mortised and tenoned end rail, B, detachable cross-bar E and transverse suspended supporting-bar G, the independently flexible slats having elastic snpportingdevices, and the pivoted legs J, the several parts constructed and arranged relatively to each other substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE BOWEN.

Witnesses:

WALTER S. BOWEN, I). C. ALLEN. 

